Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of football 24/7/365, at PhilSteele.com.

MICHIGAN ST. (-7) over Boise St. (Fri.):

The Spartans have won 14 straight at home, and last year in East Lansing they outgained their foes by an average of 416-251. The line is a touchdown because Boise State has gone 21-1 on the road in the last four seasons but this is its first trip to a BCS campus in four years. The Spartans return 13 starters and had six players drafted while Boise State is in the bottom five in the FBS in returning experience with only seven starters as it had seven players drafted. The ESPN cameras will add a wave of excitement for the Michigan State fans as the Spartans roll.

BOSTON COL. (+2) over Miami (Sat.):

Go to a sports bar and ask 10 casual fans who the better team is, at least nine will say Miami. The truth is the Hurricanes have averaged 6.8 wins per season the last six years while the Eagles have averaged 8.2. BC returns 17 starters, including a quarterback with 17 career starts, while Miami has just 10 returning starters with a quarterback who has five career starts and has to play with the added pressure of a season-opening conference road game. BC grabs its season opener for the eighth time in nine years.